Naruto: Imitation Ninja

Watching Naruto being dragged away by Jiraiya, Xing Liu's heart remained calm. She even asked Uncle Ichiraku for a bowl of ramen and started eating it with a "slurp."

Just as Xing Liu was finishing her second bowl of ramen, our second pillar, Uchiha Sasuke, finally arrived at the shop.

He lifted the curtain that covered the shop's entrance with force. Upon seeing that it wasn't Naruto, whom he had originally sought, but Xing Liu—whom he had just seen in the hospital—his face twisted in confusion.

Damn! Wasn't she in the hospital just now? How did she get here so quickly? And those two big bowls on the table—are you serious?

It's only been about ten minutes since we last saw each other, right? How have you eaten so much ramen already?

While Sasuke's expression constantly shifted, Xing Liu elegantly finished the last drop of broth before slowly turning to face this poor, easily deceived soul.

This "second pillar" has been the epitome of being deceived ever since he appeared. Even after the Fourth Shinobi World War ended, he was still being tricked left and right. Especially when he was at that age where "chuunibyou" (a term used for adolescents with delusions of grandeur) was rampant. He even tried to attack the Five Kage Summit, only to be crushed repeatedly. He didn't give up, even joining the Akatsuki to hunt down tailed beasts...

Recalling these events, Xing Liu couldn't help but feel pity as she walked up to Sasuke, gently patted him on the shoulder, and said, almost like talking to a failure of a younger brother, "Can't you be a little smarter and not let others use you as a pawn?"

If it weren't for Sasuke causing so many problems in the middle of the story, the Naruto series would have ended by the time of "Shippuden." There wouldn't have been any of those later issues with Uchiha Madara.

"Eh? Teacher Xing Liu, what are you talking about?" Sasuke snapped as he brushed off her hand from his shoulder, looking at her coolly before asking, "Do you know where Naruto is? Uchiha Itachi is after him..."

"So what?" As someone who holds the script, Xing Liu naturally knew that Uchiha Itachi's target was Naruto. She had already arranged for an undefeatable bodyguard to protect him.

"Is your goal to help little Naruto, or to take revenge on your brother?" Xing Liu asked, watching Sasuke's face darken with each word.

In theory, the entire Naruto storyline revolves around Naruto's pursuit of the second pillar's story. Everything else is just incidental. So, no matter how cold Sasuke might be, he couldn't possibly be that heartless toward Naruto, right?

Sure enough, after a deep breath, Sasuke finally let go of his sour expression, saying with resolve, "My goal now is to save Naruto." His face hardened with determination as he looked at Xing Liu.

"I admit, until just now, when you asked me that question, I had thoughts of avenging my brother, Uchiha Itachi, but I also realize that I stand no chance against him now."

"So?" Xing Liu stared at the proud young man who was lowering his head and speaking in a trembling voice. "Please lend me your strength. I want to save my companion!"

Xing Liu glanced at the now humble Sasuke, who had discarded all his arrogance for the sake of rescuing his friend.

"Sasuke, please lift your head first. I'm about to say something that will make you want to punch me, so for the next few minutes, please manage your fists well."

"Huh? Teacher, what could you possibly say that would make me want to hit you?" Sasuke thought, his self-control preventing him from acting on his urge, at least for now.

So, Sasuke, still confused, agreed to Xing Liu's request, thinking that once Naruto was safe, he'd just vent his anger on her.

"Don't worry about Naruto's safety. I've arranged for a high-ranking figure in the village to protect him. This person is someone even Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame together couldn't defeat."

After seeing Sasuke nod, Xing Liu slowly began explaining her arrangements for Naruto. It seemed that Sasuke wouldn't be seeing him again for at least two more years.

"Teacher Xing Liu." Sasuke suddenly called out, his voice cutting through the air.

"What is it, my little Sasuke?"

Xing Liu could sense the killing intent radiating from Sasuke. As she slowly stepped back toward the forest, she saw him smiling mischievously as he approached.

"Can I ask you to do something for me?"

"No way! Absolutely not!" Xing Liu, crossing her arms over her chest, adamantly refused while backing away.

Looking into Sasuke's eyes, which now flickered with the Sharingan, she could tell he had something in mind.

"Really not possible?!" Sasuke pressed, his eyes beginning to swirl with the Sharingan.

"Really not possible. I've got other things to do. Maybe another time." Xing Liu quickly spoke, then twisted space to escape, leaving Sasuke in the middle of a temper tantrum with nothing but air in front of him.

"Damn! I didn't expect Teacher Xing Liu to be such a sly one!" Sasuke ranted, calming down after his frustration subsided.

"When my Sharingan evolves into the Mangekyō Sharingan, I'm definitely going to give this sly teacher a good beating!"

At that moment, Sasuke's goals had shifted. It wasn't just about avenging his brother, Uchiha Itachi anymore. Now, his life's mission was to teach that sly teacher, Xing Liu, a lesson...

---

"Ha... I almost got beaten by that little brat." Xing Liu, now a few hundred meters away, patted her chest and muttered to herself.

In terms of power, even ten Sasukes wouldn't be able to hurt Xing Liu, but morally speaking, if she dared to lay a hand on him, she'd already have lost terribly.

Rather than face a loss in any case, it was better to nip this potential conflict in the bud.

"This is the place the perverted sage mentioned, one of the spots Tsunade often visits?" Xing Liu looked at the gambling den in front of her. Though it was far simpler than the ancient gambling houses, it had everything one could need.

"Hehe, let's see who's really the greatest gambler in the shinobi world..."

---

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